ABSTRACT
A core problem of self-and emotion-regulation is how to strike a proper balance between two sometimes competing goals and strategies. On one hand, good self-regulation requires that individuals optimize affect. To do so ensures a sufficiently positive balance of affect and the ability to resiliently recover from negative affect. On the other hand, good self-regulation often requires that individuals forgo the personal need for affect optimization as they accept tension and delay of positive affect and endure prolonged negative affect in the interest of adapting to the external demands of reality.
